There are plenty of ways to carry your trail essentials on a ride: bike storage compartments, shorts pockets, tool straps, hip packs, and backpacks. All options have their pros and cons, and the best choice depends on the length of your ride. However, if you don’t want to leave the house without extra hydration or a lightweight jacket – especially on hot summer days and in transitional seasons – a hip bag or backpack is pretty much essential. The downside? Both often shift around your back and can be annoying in rough trail sections. This is where the EVOC Hydro Pro comes into play: yes, it’s a small backpack, but thanks to its compact size and fit, it sits snugly between your shoulder blades and close to your upper body. Despite its compact dimensions, it offers enough space for all your trail essentials – depending on the version. Over the past 10 months, this little backpack has been a near-constant companion on our rides. The EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5, with the smallest capacity in the Hydro Pro series, turned out to be the perfect choice for our needs.
Two zippers connected by a strap – easy to operate even with gloves – allow you to access the back compartment. Inside, there’s a dedicated section where you can position the standard 1.5-liter hydration bladder and secure it with a small Velcro strap. Unfortunately, the rest of the back compartment doesn’t have additional dividers. While there’s enough space for a pump, spare inner-tube, and a windbreaker jacket, these items sit loose in the compartment – a bit disappointing, really. It would be more practical to secure bigger items – like a pump – with a rubber strap, as this would prevent everything from falling out when you pull out your jacket. However, the large opening does have its advantages, allowing easy access to items stored at the very bottom of the backpack.
The wide shoulder straps of the EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5 feature additional loops for securing the hydration hose and routing it to your chest. When not in use, the hose is held in place by a small magnet. This magnet is integrated into the magnetic closure of the upper chest strap. While the closure system takes some getting used to opening, it almost finds its position on its own when closing and stays reliably shut. The lower chest strap uses a conventional, high-quality buckle, which is both familiar and dependable. Both chest straps are adjustable in length, ensuring that the shoulder straps remain securely in place. Two additional straps, which run along the rib cage, let you adjust the distance between the back panel and the shoulder straps. These are supported by a wide elastic band, ensuring a snug fit. Both shoulder straps also feature mesh pockets, secured with elastic at the openings. These are ideal for snacks or, if needed, for storing gloves or a buff. Valuables like keys or a credit card – for that post-ride beer – can be stored in the zippered chest pocket on the left shoulder strap. This pocket also includes a small slip compartment and a clip for securely stowing away your keys.
The EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5 is available in three understated yet very stylish colors. All models feature a reflective design that is barely noticeable in daylight – cool! Priced at € 120, this 233-gram lightweight backpack isn’t exactly a bargain, but the standard 1.5-liter hydration bladder makes it competitive compared to most of EVOC’s hip bags. If the Hydro Pro 1.5 feels too small, you can opt for the Hydro Pro 3 or 6, available for an additional € 15 or € 30, respectively. The Hydro Pro 3 is almost identical to the model we tested, with the only difference being an extra zippered chest pocket on the shoulder strap. Meanwhile, the Hydro Pro 6 offers two zippered chest pockets and a larger back panel.
The EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5 on test
Thanks to the four adjustable straps, the EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5 can be finely-adjusted to fit various body proportions, although the shoulder straps themselves are not size-adjustable. The wide straps and the elastic band running along the rib cage provide a snug yet comfortable fit. However, depending on your body shape, you can’t simply sling the Hydro Pro over your shoulders like a traditional backpack. Instead, you’ll have to put it on like a blazer or a sweater. Its high position between the shoulder blades and on the chest might feel unusual at first but quickly proves to be very comfortable and ensures excellent stability. Even when worn with a separate back protector, the compact backpack maintains a sleek fit. Fully loaded and on rough trails, it stays firmly in place and is easy to forget you’re wearing it. Even in steep trail sections where you need to look up, the Hydro Pro is discretely unobtrusive: even with a full-face helmet, your head doesn’t touch the backpack – which is a common issue with many other backpacks. Thanks to its thin and lightweight material, heat build-up under the EVOC Hydro Pro is minimal, and upper-body ventilation is better than with traditional backpacks or hip packs. With your jersey free to flap in the wind around your midsection, cooling is effectively maintained. If you feel the need to loosen the fit by opening the chest straps during an uphill climb, you can do so without the backpack sliding off your shoulders.
As expected from EVOC, all zippers, buckles, and seams are of high quality and designed to be easily operated even with gloves. Apart from the lack of attachments in the back compartment, there’s a suitable spot for all your essentials. In our case, we stored a hand pump, a spare inner tube, two tire levers, a lightweight jacket, and the full 1.5 l hydration bladder in the back compartment. The front pockets provided enough space for snacks, a small multitool, house keys, and some cash. During climbs, we often stashed our gloves in one of the mesh pockets, confident that we wouldn’t lose them while descending a trail. On hot summer days, the extra water, in addition to the bottle mounted on the bike, proved invaluable for tackling longer and unfamiliar rides. In winter, we often relied on the hydration bladder, as the water stayed warmer against the back. This avoided the unpleasant experience of feeling like you’re drinking from a mountain stream in sub-zero temperatures.
Conclusion about the EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5
For anyone who’s not a fan of big backpacks and dangly hip packs, the EVOC Hydro Pro 1.5 is the perfect companion. While the lightweight backpack isn’t exactly cheap, it’s definitely worth the investment. Putting on and fastening the pack might take some getting used to at first but quickly becomes second nature. The Hydro Pro 1.5 is well built, largely well-designed, and sits securely on your back without bouncing around on rougher trails. It also provides enough space to keep all your essentials fairly well-organized and safely stored.
Tops
- Secure and comfortable fit
- Mostly well-organized
- Plenty of room for all your essentials
- High-quality craftsmanship
Flops
- No additional dividers in the main compartment
For more information, visit the EVOC website.
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Words & Photos: Peter Walker
About the Author
Peter Walker
Peter Walker leads the editorial department of ENDURO at 41 Publishing. His methodical approach is based on training as a paramedic and extensive experience in specialist bicycle retail. This ensures factual analysis of complex technology and precise user guidance in comparison tests. With expertise from the Enduro race scene, as well as intensive testing phases in international bike parks like Whistler, he is responsible for the operational management of product evaluations. His focus is on technical performance analysis and strategic buyer’s advice in the gravity segment.
